


Affliction

by dryswallow



Category: Witch's Heart (Video Game)
Genre: Demons, F/F, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-06
Updated: 2018-10-06
Packaged: 2019-07-27 04:09:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16211108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dryswallow/pseuds/dryswallow
Summary: “I don't know that much,” Zizel said. “Like I said, only rumours. The only thing demons seem to agree upon is that only Haters might be able to love, never pureblood demons.”“Ohh, I see.” Lime nodded her head along. “Because of the leftover stuff from their human lives, right?”“That's the theory,” Zizel said. “But if you want to know more, I believe Charlotte is our resident expert on this subject.”





	Affliction

**Author's Note:**

  * For [callixto](https://archiveofourown.org/users/callixto/gifts).



> Happy Femslash Exchange, callixto! I'm so happy I got to write Witch's Heart for you - I feel like I have a deeper appreciation for both Charlotte and Lime after replaying the game and writing this. I panicked a little bit when Bonus Stage came out in the middle of writing this, but luckily this is still canon compliant.
> 
> Content note: despite what the characters discuss here, no physical violence plays out in the end, in case you get a bit nervous while reading.

“If I have to hear another ugly human whining about love when they summon me for a contract, I’m going to lose it and kill them on the spot, rules be damned,” Rouge said.

She finished pouring another glass of wine and slammed the bottle down on the table. The crack of glass hitting wood rang through the darkness around them. It was the kind of sound Charlotte couldn’t help but compare to a gunshot, even though she knew it was too low and dull to have been a bullet. None of the others around the table seemed to notice; Zizel was preoccupied with her cup of tea, and Lime was happily piling her plate with pastries.

Oh well. Old habits die hard, even when you are yourself some degree of dead. Charlotte leaned forward to snatch a lemon tart before Lime could take all of them.

“And he only offered me a finger jewel,” Rouge continued. “That’s barely worth my time! Idiot. You should have seen the stupid look on his face when I told him no.”

“It was that bad, huh?” Charlotte asked.

Rouge rolled her eyes. “It was _excruciating_. It’s not even a funny kind of pathetic anymore, it’s just annoying! I’m so glad I wasn't a human and never had to deal with your emotional afflictions.”

Zizel raised her hand to cover her mouth as she giggled. “You make it sound like a disease.”

“As far as I’m concerned, it is. It’s contagious, after all. Do you ever see just one human in love? No, it spreads to others and before you know it they’re all crying and killing each other over nothing.”

“Wait,” Lime said. “So demons don’t fall in love? Ever?”

“Of course not,” Rouge scoffed.

“Well,” Zizel said, “That may not be true. I’ve heard some rumours, though I’m not sure any of them are to be believed.”

Lime’s mouth curled up into a wide grin, lips parting enough to expose her canines.

“Interesting~! Tell me more, Zizel.”

“Ugh! No,” Rouge said. “Let’s talk about something else.”

“But I wanna know!”

“I don't know that much,” Zizel said. “Like I said, only rumours. The only thing demons seem to agree upon is that only Haters might be able to love, never pureblood demons.”

“Ohh, I see.” Lime nodded her head along. “Because of the leftover stuff from their human lives, right?”

“That's the theory,” Zizel said. “But if you want to know more, I believe Charlotte is our resident expert on this subject.”

Three pairs of eyes swivelled in her direction. Charlotte took another bite of her tart, pretending she wasn't being put on the spot. The lemon filling oozed out onto her tongue, sweet and sharp.

“I don't know anything about demons being in love,” Charlotte said once she'd swallowed her mouthful of her dessert.

“But I believe you've mentioned experiencing love in your human life, yes?” Zizel asked.

“Ooh, tell me about it, Charlie!” Lime said, leaning excitedly over the arm of her chair to stare at Charlotte.

It had been years since Charlotte had first taunted Lime for not being able to understand others and their feelings, especially love. She thought Lime might have gotten bored and given up by now. But Lime was obnoxiously persistent, and as a demon, she had all the time in the world to waste.

And now, with both Zizel and Lime staring her down, there was no way to decline answering without losing face.

Charlotte shrugged. “Love is pretty gross.”

“Kya! That's great!” Lime nodded fervently. “I want to know more. Why is it so gross, Charlie?”

Whoever made those lemon tarts had added way too much sugar. Charlotte could feel the aftertaste in her mouth like a layer of grime, so sweet she was close to gagging.

“If you're so desperate to know, Lime, I guess I can tell you a few things,” Charlotte said. She sipped at her tea, hoping it would wash her mouth clean.

“Rouge is right. Love can be like a human disease of stupidity. Love is like... it's like having a knife over your stomach and making someone hold it here, and trusting them not to kill you. But their hands slips anyway, and your guts get all cut open.”

“Nasty!! I love it.”

A knife appeared in Lime’s hand, and Charlotte instantly regretted her analogy.

“Can one of you do me a favour?” Lime asked. She held out the knife in suggestion.

“Absolutely not,” Rouge snapped.

“I'd rather not get my gloves dirty,” Zizel said.

Once again, Charlotte found herself the centre of attention.

“You're being pretty hasty, Lime,” she said. “I barely told you anything and you jumped right into it.”

“Ooh, do you have more to tell me Charlotte? Tell me more about love, then!”

Rouge slammed her empty wine glass down on the table with such force Charlotte expected it to shatter. She stood and looked down her nose at Lime. It would be intimidating to anyone else, but Lime didn't seem to care.

“Got something to say?”

Rouge rolled her eyes. “If this is all you’re going to talk about, I’m out. Let’s go, Zizel. We have better things to do.”

Rouge grabbed her wine bottle by its neck and vanished into the darkness. Zizel took a moment to wave at Charlotte, a short teasing goodbye before she and her teacup disappeared as well.

And then there were two.

“Soo, what else do you want to tell me, Charlie?” Lime asked.

What could she say? Love was the taste of bile and blood in her mouth and disease slowly eroding her body from the inside out. The pit it left inside of her burned and burned, strong and hot even after hundreds of years. It flared up when she looked at humans, especially the ones who stumbled their way through life, careless and ignorant. Pathetic.

“I don't really _want_ to tell you anything, now,” Charlotte said. “Like I said before, it's not the kind of thing you can understand through just words.”

“Okay, then let's get to it!” Lime said. She turned the knife on herself, holding it so the blade pointed right at her gut.

Charlotte sighed.

Lime was squeezing her eyes shut, body tense as if preparing for a blow. The point of the knife was pressing in just enough to pull at the fabric above her stomach. Its blade was smooth, sharpened to a fine, shining edge.

“I'm ready whenever you are, Charlie!” Lime squealed. “Don't hold back! Get me real good!”

Charlotte sighed. She took a seat beside Lime on the cough, chin resting in the palm of her hand.

This poor, stupid girl.

Instead of reaching for the knife, Charlotte’s hand drifted towards Lime’s face. Lime was grinning like an idiot, but at least her mouth was closed this time. She looked less stupid this way. It was almost enough to make Charlotte want to brush her knuckles against the gentle curve of Lime's cheek, or run her fingers through Lime's hair. It made her want something soft.

_No one has ever touched you softly, have they, Lime?_

“What are you doing, Charlie?”

Lime peered at Charlotte, eyes wide and curious. Her smile looked a bit uncertain.

“Nothing,” Charlotte said. “Close your eyes again, okay? No peeking.”

“Okay! Here I go!”

True to her word, Lime closed her eyes. “Take the knife,” she urged.

Charlotte did.

It was lighter than she anticipated. The knives she grew up using were military-grade, with firm handles and solid blades. Lime's knife looked sharp, but its hilt was wooden and the blade was thin. It felt flimsy in Charlotte's hands.

Lime was still smiling, waiting.

_You stupid, stupid girl._

Before she could second guess herself, Charlotte leaned forward and pressed her lips to Lime's forehead. She held herself there for a moment, listening to Lime inhale. It was a little quicker than usual; she'd caught her by surprise.

“Charlie...”

When Charlotte pulled back, Lime's eyes were still closed. She didn't look angry, or scared, or even bored. Her body was still tense with anticipation, but in a different way. Charlotte didn't have the words for it, but it was a posture she recognized.

Charlotte let the knife fall into Lime's lap. She removed one of her gloves and reached up to Lime's face, cautiously touching her fingertips to Lime's bottom lip. It was soft against her skin – as soft as she hoped it would be.

Lime didn't draw away. No, she was actually shifting forwards to press her mouth a little harder against Charlotte's fingers. Her features stirred, once again taking on an expression of curiosity. Something in Charlotte's chest stuttered with the realization that her face probably looked just the same.

Before Lime could open her eyes again, Charlotte pulled her hand back and willed herself away into the darkness. She vanished from Lime's side and appeared in another part of the fantasy space, far enough away that she couldn't be seen but close enough that she could hear Lime's frustrated shrieking.

“Ooh, Charlie, you meanie! You got me real good!”

Charlotte exhaled. Her whole body shuddered, gripped by a fever.

It looked like Rouge was right after all.

 


End file.
